Detachable freight carrying device



Aug. 15, 1944. H. R. JARvls EETACHABLE FREIGHT CARRYING DEVICE Filed Aug'. 1v, 1942 5 sheets-sheet 1 4 INVENTOR. HA/soL o E. Jee ws M A T TORNE Y.

Aug. 15, `1944. H, R. JAR\-/ls 2,355,867

DETAGHABLE FREIGHT CARRYING DEVICE Filed Aug. 17, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENToR. HAROLD E. JARV/.sf

BW @M2M Allg. 15,.l944. H, R JARVls 2,355,867

DETACHABLE FREIGHT CARRYING DEVICE Filed Aug. 17, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 l INVENToR. /E/qo/ D E. JA/e ws I WM@ A T TUBA/EY.

Patented Aug. 15, 1944 UNITED l DETACHABLEFREIGHT crlmtYINGV nevica Harold Jarvis, San Francisco, Calif. Application Angus; fi7, 1942,'s'e1-ia1 ,No. 455,051

9Claims. (Cl. 214-85) f My inventionrelates to improvements in freight Carrying vehicles such as railroad cars, trucks and airplanes having detachable freight carrying bodies or loading units. .Y i f An importantobject of my invention isto provide a one-man operated freight carrying device of such construction that one man, unassisted by anyone else or by any special machinery at the transfer points, can load and unload one or more interchangeable freight carrying units.v

. Another `important object of the invention is to providea compact and simplified mechanism which functions to hold the. freight carrying body locked in ,i place on the vehicle during transport and. when unlocked functions as `the .take-off ramp. A i f- .if

A further object of my invention is toprovide means which employs a minimum of parts Afor moving thefreight carrying body on and off` the vehicle, and which requires a minimum of labor, A `further object of my invention is toprovide an interchangeable freight carrying devicewhich permits each unit-to be loaded or unloaded without particular care on the drivers part in alignlng the vehicle with afreight receiving platform and which requires norcrane or auxiliary unloading apparatus of anysort on theplatform.

Another object of my invention is to providea particularly efficientform of lockingmechanism, and one by which each unitis individually secured to the carrying vehicle in a simple and ecient manner, thereby making possible the removal of any chosen unit without disturbing the others.

Other objects and advantages of my invention Will become apparent as this description proceeds.

In the accompanyingl drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective showing a por# tion of the chassis of a carrying vehicle with two detachable units thereon (shown in dotted lines) Fig, 2 is a detail view in perspective of aportion of the locking and track run-off mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view partly in cross-V section ofthe lower left-hand portion of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view in vertical elevation: partly in cross-section showing the relation of the parts of Fig. 3 when the freight body unit has been `freed and is to be moved off the carrying `vehicle to theright; .I l., l 'l Fig." 5 is a view similar to Fig.y 4 showing the relation of the parts when the freight body unit is to bemoved 01T the carrying vehicle to the left;

Fig. 6 is a view inyvertical elevation partlyin cross-section of one form of power means, for moving the freight body unit on or off the carrying vehicle;

Fig. 'l is a view in vertical elevation showing one ofthe track and lock arm units in the position of Fig. 2 and with the power applying mechanism in position as shown in Figs. 3 and 6;

Fig. 8 is a view in vertical side elevation, partly in cross-section, showing the means for mounting the power applying mechanism; a

Fig. v9 is a view in cross-section taken on the line IX-IX of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 10 is a view looking in the direction of the arrows on line X--X of Fig. 6.

My invention lends. itself particularly to use in the efficient handling of air freight as well as the eicient use of motor truck and trailer type vehicles, railroad cars, etc., with a minimum, crew. For a long time a simple, practical, inexpensive solution has been sought to accomplish the ends of this invention, as is shown by the many patents `granted on vearlier devices. 4My invention has proven itself in .practice and differs from the prior devices in its simplicity and novel combination of elements.

' For example, with the device herein `disclosed it is possible for a truck driver alone, and without the use of cranes, complicated power takeoff mechanism, trucks, or any other extraneous source of power, to accomplish the loadingor unloading from the freight carrying vehicle -of one or more freight body units at any desired'place, simply by means of power applied manually to a removable gear and shaft which is capableof serving anywhere on the vehicle. By means of the novel` mounting mechanism, this take-olf crank, shaft and gear may be mounted by the truck driver for use in loading or unloadingany of the freightcarrying body units from either side of the vehicle. When one unit is loaded on or unloaded, thev crank, shaft and gear take-off mechanism may be moved to the next unit, so that one crank, shaft and gear does for the whole vehicle. Not only does this effect an economy in cost, but itefects `a saving in materials, weight, etc. and allows more pay load.A

Eachtrack and lock arm mechanism may be quickly changed Vfrom its hold-down position to its released position or to its run-rofl position withoutthe use of any tools, thereby effecting a further practical 'advantage over earlier devices. Since there are no tools or special devices needed for-any part of theunloading or loading-operation, the truck driver can Vnever nd himself Vstymed and unable to load or unload;

In the phantom View shown in Fig. 1 the freight containing body units II) and I are shown in dotted lines in order not to obscure the under portions, Furthermore, Whether these freight containing body units are made in the form of a box or as a stake body or as a tank, or in a shape and construction to contain any other form of transportable merchandise does not vary the principle and application of my invention, I use the box type merely for illustration.

Referring again to Fig. 1, the frame members I2 and I3 may represent a portion of a motor truck chassis or the chassis 0f a carrier type airplane, or of a railroad car. My invention is readily adaptable to each and al1 of these types of carrying vehicles, as well as to others,'because its simplicity and completeness within itself make it possible to transfer one or more body units from one carrying vehicle to another or to factory platforms in remote places, since it does not require any crane or special auxiliary apparatus to load and unload the freightcontaining body units II).

Mounted crosswise of the longitudinal frame members I2 and I3 are a plurality of cross-beams I4, I5, I6 jand I'I. There may be more on a particularvehicle, depending upon its length. As shown in Fig. l, two cross-beams are indicated beneath each freight containing body unit. I prefer this construction, although in certain cases one cross-beam may be adequate, Whereas in others three cross-beams or moremightbe required. Such changes and .modifications would be Within. the invention vcontemplated, depending upon j the particular conditions encountered.

These Cross-beamslare' 'securely fastenediand braced at I8 lto the carrying vehicle frame members I2 and I3fand' unless.the vehicle is being torn down for scrap, remain secured thereto for its useful life. .Cross-beams I4,I5,'I6, I'VI, etc., and theirrrelated. parts Amay be ofV uniform 'and .standardized construction, therefore, I shall pro- 'ceed now to describeone such unit as shown in Figs.2to8.

I have foundthat a cross beam I4 ofI crosssectional shapelends itself well to the purposes of -myinventionV L lThe uppersurface 20 provides a 'smooth face over which .the freight containing body unit Amay slide with 'aminimum of friction.

Thisface l2Il isl cut back .or recessed at 2| to provide the narrower ,projecting surfaces 22 in the same .plane as surface 20. These recesses are .adaptedto receive the two members 2,73 forming la yoke on the end of each track and lock arm 24. The members 23.1'nay be pivotedvto the crossbeam .I4 at 25.7byY means of'` a suitable pin 26. Preferablyfthe overall width ofthe yoke' 23.0n eachv arm 24 does notrexceed the Width ofthe plane surface 2,0. By means of, the. pivotal mounting of arms 24, eachmay be moved in an arc about pivotpin 26 from the vertical locking position shown in Figs; 2v and 3 to eitherv of the Aunloading.positions shown in- Figs. 4 and 5. When in theposition shown Yin Fig. 5,v the upper surface of arm 24 preferably vis in substantial alignment with the planesurface 20,01 crossbeam [4iso as to provide a smooth vtransferV point as the freight containing bodyunitIIl slides from onet otheotl'1 er 'The track and lock Yarm 24 performsseveral :functions: First;` when in' the 1ook'ed position shown in Figs. 2 and 3,' it vsecures the freight poniairiing body iinitfagaijnst vlateral shifting;

secures the freight containing body unit II] against any possible vertical movement; third, when in the position shown in Fig. 4, the track and lock arm 24 secures the freight containing body unit I0 against accidentally slipping off the side of the truck opposite to that from which it is intended to be removed; fourth, when the track and lock arm 24 is in the position of Fig. 5, it functions as a continuation of cross-beam I4 to provide a smooth surface over which the freight containing body unit may slide onto a freight transfer platform or to another vehicle.

The track and lock arm 24 accomplishes its first-named function, namely, to prevent lateral shifting, because it is secured at pivot point 26 to cross-beam I4 and it is secured to the freight containing body unit IIl by means of latch 30 mounted in housing 3| and released by means of second, when' invv the position just-,named and Y with the body-'iookf cam-member aofengage'd, it

lever 32. Any suitable form of latch means may be used in lieu of the type illustrated at 30. To assist in holding arm 24 in position, guide plates 33 may be secured tothe side of the freight containing body unit I0 so that they engage the sides of arm 24.

To enable arm 24 to perform its second function, namely, to secure the freight containing body unit I0 against any vertical movement, there is pivotally secured to the side of arm 24 a locking means, comprising cam locking member 40 actuated by pin 4I which slides in hole 42 in extension 43 integral with cam 4|).` AThe latter engages ina suitably shaped recess 45 in the body locking member 46 which is suitably secured to the underside of they freight containing body unit I0. When cam 40 is in the position shown in Figs. 2, 3, 7, and 8, body locking member 46 and its attached freight containing body unit I0 are securely held down on the plane surface 20vof the cross-members such as I4, I5, etc., because cam 40 is mounted in arm 24 which is pivotally secured at 25 to cross-arm I4-giving a vise-like action. When cam 40 is rotated by means of sliding pin 4I into the position shown in Fig. 1 1, body locking member 46 is released. There are four` such locks on each freight containing body unit lI!! andgall must be released before itrcan be slid on crossbeam I4 to unload it.

Track andlock arm24 performs its third function mentioned above, n amely, of preventing the unintentional movement of the freight containingn body unit oi. the Wrong side of the truck, by

means. of the depending supporting arm 50 pivotally secured at 5I to a boss 52 in arm 24. This function ofarm 24 tolimit movement of the freight containing body unit I0 is also important in the loading of body unit I0 onto the truck because it prevents body I0 from sliding olf the other side of the truck. The approximate position of arm 24 when accomplishing this function is shown on the left-hand end of cross-members IB and I1 in Fig. l, as Well as inFig, 4. Arms 24 retain this outwardly sloping position because of gravity Yand because depending support arm 50 engages the end of shaft support slidable member 60.

The fourth functionof track and lock arm 24, namely, its use as the surface over which the freight containing body unit slides from crossmember I 4 to a loading platform or other vehicle is accomplished by swinging arm 24 into position as shown in Fig. 5 and .at the right in Fig. 1. To vrmove it into this position from the position shownin Fig. 3, depending support arm 50 is moved to the left to guide 4it over shaftsupport member so that it falls freely into the position shown in Fig. 5. To move arm 24 into the posi-v Referring now to Fig. 1, it will be seen'that the track and lock members 24 secured to the righthand ends of cross-beams I6 andIT are inthe position illustrated in Fig. and just described.

It is thus clear that the operation of each lock'V arm 24 is handled separately and readily by thev truck operator without any assistance fromy any` one else or from any machinery or special tools. Assuming that the operator has placed the arms 24 in the position shown on the ends' of crossmernbers I6 and I1 in Fig. l, it is clear that it is his intention to move the freight containing 'unit I0 to the rightoff the carrying vehicle onto the factory platform |00 or another vehicle. I-Iere again it is desirable that he should be able to accomplish this by himself Without any complicated power take-off mechanism connected t0 the propelling unit of the carrying vehicle and without any apparatus at the unloading point.

To accomplish this result With'a minimum of parts and with as little weight as possible, particularly where air freight is involved, I provide a shaft support slidable member 6I] at the end of each cross-arm I4, I5, I6, I1, etc. These members 60 on the ends of each adjacent pair of cross-members, e. g., I6 and I1, are used to support against downward vertical movement a shaft 6I and pinion gear 62. Shaft 6I is dropped .into U-shaped slot 63 when shaft support slidable member 60 is in its extended position as shown in Fig. 8. The end of each cross-member I4 is suitably recessed with a semi-circle 64, the lower fourth of which is adapted to lie in substantially the same plane as the corresponding portion of the bottom of recess 63 when member 66 is retracted and held in the position shown in Figs. 1 to 5. The upper half of recess 64 functions to lock and retain shaft 6I against upward verti cal movement out of slot 63. Member 6I] is in turn retained in its retracted position on crossmember I4 by means of locking pawl 65 pivoted at 66 and engaging in notch 61. Slidability to member 60 is permitted by means of a horizontal slot 68 in each end of member I4, through which passes tie-rod 69 secured in member 60. When shaft 6I is in the position shown in Figs. 1, 3, 5 and 6, pinion gear 62 is in engagement with rack 10 secured to the bottom of freight containing body unit IIJ.

Looking now to the right-hand corner of Fig. 1, we see that the truck operator, by rotating the handle 1I on shaft 6I, will impart movement to pinion gear 62 and in turn cause freight containing body unit I0 to slide on surface 20 of crossmembers I6 and I1. Shaft 6I and gear 62 are mounted with relation to arm pivot point so that as the freight containing body unit I0 transfers its weight from cross-members I6 and I1 to the two arms 24, rack 19 will remain in engagement with the teeth of pinion 62, thus enabling the truck operator to retain control of body unit I0 and move it along arms 24 and onto freight platform |60.

To assist in the movement of body unit I0 on the latter, I have found it desirable to provide on the bottom of each body unit a pair of rollers 80 which, in cooperation with the skid shoes 8|,

at each corner of body unit I0, permit ready movement of theV latter over the surface of a platform or through-a'factory.

As shown in Fig. 10, I prefer to bell out or widen the mouth of the recess 96 on the bottom of each body unit I0 so as to facilitate its ready entry onto the arms 24 and thus not require per-e fect alignment when the loading operation is beginning. Fig. 9 shows howthe body unit Ycrossmember 9 I straddles cross-member I4.

While I have shown the preferred construction which answers the requirements very effectively,

I do not desire to be confined to the precise de-V i tails either of construction, or arrangement, or

mode `of application, `but aim in my claims to cover all modifications which do not involve a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

lWhat `I claim is:

'1.'In a detachable unit freight carrying vehicle, the combination of a freight containing body unit, a freight carrying vehicle fframe,-a` platform carried thereby, said platform having pivoted on its edges track and lock arms, said body unit having a plurality of said track and lock arm members arranged to extend vertically alongside said body, means extending laterally outward from the under side of said body adjacent the hinged end of each arm, and means carried on each arm near its hinged end to engage said extensions and lock said body against movement vertically off said platform.

2. In a detachable unit freight carrying vehicle adapted to carry one or more removable freight containing body units of the type having a rack on its bottom, the combination of a supporting platform secured to said vehicle, track and lock arms pivotally secured to each edge of said platform; said platform also having near its edges means for mounting a shaft and pinion gear at substantially right angles to said rack and means on the said arms when in lowered position for locking said shaft and gear in operative relation to Said rack 3. In a detachable unit freight carrying vehicle having one or more freight containing body units adapted to be individually secured to the freight carrying vehicle, the combination of a plurality of cross-members secured to said vehicle to support said detachable body units, each cross-member having at its outermost ends pivoted lock and track arms, each of said arms being provided with locking means to engage cooperating projections on the side of said body units, said locking means on each arm including a cam member adapted to engage said body unit.

4. In a detachable unit freight carrying vehicle having one or more freight containing body units adapted to be individually secured to the freight carrying vehicle, the combination of a platform secured to said vehicle to support said detachable body units, each platform having at its outermost ends pivoted lock and track arms, each arm having a cam adjacent its pivoted end, and a cooperating cam face on each body unit which parts when in engagement secure said body unit to said platform.

5. -In a detachable unit freight carrying vehicle having one or more freight containing body units adapted to be individually secured to the freight carrying vehicle and moved on and off by means of a rack thereon, the combination of a platform secured to said vehicle to support said detachable body units, said platform having at carried thereby, said platform having pivoted near its edges track and lock arms, `means for moving said arms through an arc of at least 90, extensions on said freight unit extending alongside said arms when the latter are lifted intoA their vertical position, and rotatable cam means on said arms which can then be turnedto engage said extensions to lock said freight unit to said platform. f

7. In a detachable unit freight carrying vehicle having one or more freight containing body unitsV adapted to be individually secured to the freight carrying vehicle, they combination of al platform secured to said vehiclevto support said `detachable body units, said platform having at its outermost edges pivoted lock and track arms, each of said arms being provided with locking means to engage cooperating projections on the side of said body units, said locking means on each arm including a cam member adapted to engage said body unit.

8. In a detachable unit freight carrying vehicle the combination of a detachable freight unit, a freight carrying vehicle frame, a platform carried thereby, said platform having pivoted near its edges track and lock arms, means for moving said arms through an arc of at least extensions on said freight unit extending alongside said arms when the latter are lifted into their vertical positions, and rotatable cam means on said arms which can then be turned to engage said extensions to lock said freight unit to said platform, the means `for rotating said cam including a movable element which locks said cam against rotation, when said element is released.

9. In a. detachable unit freight carrying vehicle the combination of a freight carrying vehicle frame, detachable freight units, platform means adapted to support said units, said platform means having pivoted near its edges and near the positions each of said units will occupy, track and lock arms, extensions on said freight unit extending alongside said arms when the latter are lifted into their vertical position, and rotatable cam means on said arms which can then be turned to engage said extensions to lock said freight unit to said platform.

HAROLD R. JARVIS. 

